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At a time when the whole world is seeking solution to get rid of the Covid pandemic, Trivendra Singh Rawat, a former chief minister of the Indian state of Uttarakhand, said the virus is a "living organism and it deserves to live".

Rawat's unusual video statement went viral on social media in which he said that the pandemic is a living organism like human being so that it also has the right to live, IANS reported.

His remarks triggered stinging barbs from Opposition leaders who had described his statement as not just "insensitive", but also "foolish".

"If we talk from a philosophical angle, coronavirus is also a living organism like us. We (human being) consider ourselves most intelligent, but that organism also wants to live. And it also deserves to live," Rawat said.

Rawat continued in the widely-circulated video clip, saying, "We are out to eliminate the virus. So, it is constantly mutating to keep itself alive".

"Hence, we now have to keep our distance from it. It is also moving, and we are also moving, but we have to move faster than it so that it gets left behind."

The Congress moved fast to take potshots at Rawat after he got trolled on social media for his observation on Covid.

The BJP leader's remarks came at a time when India is passing through a worst phase of the second phase of Covid-19 with India registering 3,43,144 fresh cases and 4,000 deaths in the past 24 hours.

"What Rawat, who was the state's CM, has said, is nothing but foolish and nonsense. He has lost his mind and has no vision because of which he was replaced abruptly by his party," Uttarakhand Congress vice president Suryakant Dhasmana said.